Projection Capture System, Programming and Method

1. A projection capture system, comprising: a controller; a workspace camera operatively connected to the controller for capturing still images and video images of an object on a work surface of a first workspace; a projector operatively connected to the controller; the controller configured to: control the workspace camera to capture an image of a real object on the work surface, and cause simultaneous projecting of the image of the real object into multiple workspaces including the first workspace, wherein the image of the real object projected into the first workspace is projected onto the work surface; and an object recognition device operatively connected to the controller for distinguishing the real object on the work surface from an object image projected onto the work surface.

2. The projection capture system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the projector to project the image of the real object onto the work surface as a one-to-one scale digital duplicate of the real object.

3. The projection capture system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to control the projector to project the image of the real object onto the work surface at the same position occupied by the real object when the image of the real object was captured by the camera.

4. The projection capture system of claim 1 , wherein the controller, the camera, and the projector are housed together as a single portable unit.

5. The projection capture system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to: control the camera and the projector to capture an image of the image of the real object as the image of the real object is being altered in the first workspace including the work surface, and project the altered image of the real object into the first workspace.

6. The projection capture system of claim 1 , further comprising: an input/output device operatively connected to the controller through which digital information is received from and sent to a device external to the projection capture system; and a video conferencing camera, a microphone, and a speaker each operatively connected to the input/output device for sending video and audio information to an external device and for receiving video and audio information from an external device.

7. The projection capture system of claim 6 , wherein the controller, the cameras, the projector, the input/output device, the microphone, and the speaker are housed together as a single portable unit.

8. A non-transitory processor readable medium including instructions that when executed: cause a camera to capture an image of a real object on a work surface in a first workspace of a projection capture device including the camera and a projector; cause simultaneous projecting of the image of the real object into a plurality of workspaces including the first workspace, wherein the image of the real object projected into the first workspace is projected onto the work surface; and cause an object recognition device to distinguish the real object on the work surface from an object image projected onto the work surface.

9. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions when executed cause the projector to project the image of the real object into the first workspace at the same position occupied by the real object when the image of the real object was captured by the camera.

10. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions when executed cause each of multiple projectors to project the image of the real object simultaneously into each respective workspace of the plurality of workspaces.

11. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions when executed: receive information relating to altering of the image of the real object in the first workspace; and cause each of the multiple projectors to project the altered image of the real object simultaneously into each respective workspace of the plurality of workspaces.

12. A workspace collaboration method, comprising: capturing a digital image of a real object on a work surface in a first workspace of a projection capture device; causing, by a controller, simultaneous projecting of the image of the real object into multiple workspaces including the first workspace, wherein the image of the real object projected into the first workspace is projected onto the work surface; distinguishing, by an object recognition device operatively connected to the controller, the real object on the work surface from an object image projected onto the work surface; receiving, by the controller, an altered object image as altered in one of the multiple workspaces; and causing, by the controller, simultaneous projecting of the altered object image into the multiple workspaces including the first workspace.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the causing of the simultaneous projecting of the image of the real object into the multiple workspaces includes projecting the image of the real object into the first workspace and onto the real object.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein causing the simultaneous projecting of the image of the real object into the multiple workspaces comprises causing the projecting of the image of a one-to-one scale digital duplicate of the real object into the multiple workspaces.

15. The projection capture system of claim 1 , further comprising a mirror above the projector to reflect light from the projector onto the work surface, wherein the camera is located higher than the projector.

16. The projection capture system of claim 1 , wherein the projector is a light source for the camera during capture of the still images and the video images by the camera.

17. The projection capture system of claim 16 , wherein a time sequencing of different color light produced by the projector is synchronized with a video frame rate of the camera during the capture of the video images by the camera.

18. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the causing of the projecting of the image of the real object into the first workspace comprises causing the projector to project the image of the real object to a mirror located above the projector, the mirror to reflect the image of the real object into the first workspace.

19. The non-transitory processor readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the projector is a light source for the camera during capture of the image of the real object by the camera, and wherein the instructions when executed cause a time sequencing of different color light produced by the projector to be synchronized with a video frame rate of the camera during the capture of the image of the real object by the camera.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the causing of the projecting of the image of the real object into the first workspace comprises projecting, by a projector in the projection capture device, the image of the real object onto a mirror above the projector, the mirror reflecting the image of the real object onto the work surface.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein a projector of the projection capture device is a light source for a camera of the projection capture device during capture of the image of the real object by the camera, the method further comprising: time sequencing different color light produced by the projector of the projection capture device with a video frame rate of the camera of the projection capture device during the capture of the image of the real object by the camera.